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Very engrossing political thriller, with the obvious insider knowledge of Secretary Clinton's years at State, in the Senate, and as First Lady. I enjoyed this far more than I first expected from the early chapters, which did seem a bit of a typical potboiler thriller with some "purple prose" - but it promptly took off and didn't stop being a thrilling read after that, all the way to the end, with some twists upon twists.

The scenario for this story is very real. I can imagine it, quite unfortunately and with some fear, really happening.

Several of the characters leading countries, factions, terror groups etc. are obvious stand-ins for easily identifiable real-life individuals in those or similar roles. So don't be surprised when you encounter characters who represent Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Boris Johnson, and a variety of MAGA-and-Qanon types by other names. But really, don't we all want that from a Hillary Clinton-authored thriller? The insider dirt? While also I'm certain that she misdirected us sufficiently and properly when giving security and military details, in order to avoid disclosing the real protocols.

I haven't before read any Louise Penny novels, which I understand to be mostly mysteries, set in a Quebec village (which does show up here!), but clearly a significant amount of the book, and the writing style, is from her. Yet because Clinton and Penny are friends for years, they did both write it, it's not a "Famous Person with real writer" type of collaboration. In Ms. Penny's part of the afterword, she mentions at times receiving 500 pages of manuscript from Clinton during the times they couldn't meet in person mid-pandemic. Manuscript, not just character and story ideas, notes, and outlines.

Though cozy mysteries aren't my particular cup of tea, I may give Louise Penny's other works a look as a change of pace.

Bottom line: Well worth reading if you like political thrillers, especially ones tied to what's going on right now in the USA and in the world, and appreciate the work that diplomats and journalists do behind the scenes as well as what elected leaders do - and cannot do.